Studying Abroad
by Blue Penguin Lightning
Summary: Somewhat AU. Desperate to escape a life that she doesn't want, Belle signs up to study abroad for a year. But what she doesn't expect is for certain people to know who she is.
1. More Than Coincidence

Disclaimer: No, I am not Edward Kitsis or Adam Horowitz. But I will probably put you through just as much emotional trauma.

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**Chapter 1**

**More Than Coincidence**

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Her chipped cup.

The first thing Rumplestiltskin did when he regained his memories from living in the Enchanted Forest was locate Belle's cup. It was all he had left of her and even though just looking at it was painful because he knew he would never have her back in his life, he still drank from it every morning.

There were few items he cherished, but Belle's chipped cup was one of them. That item was always kept at his house. The other item was kept in his shop, under the safety of a security lock. This was he would always have a reminder of those he cared about most wherever he was.

He grabbed his suit jacket and slipped it on, a reminder that here in Storybrooke, he was Mr. Gold, pawnbroker and antique dealer. It was really only a matter of time before he would give up this charade entirely. Emma Swan was in Storybrooke; the curse he had forged would be broken soon enough.

For now, he would continue on with being Mr. Gold. He couldn't let Regina know that the curse was weakening. Besides, she would find out in due time. She had enough on her plate with Henry's biological mother in the picture. But neither Rumplestiltskin nor Mr. Gold wanted to be involved in the family drama that was sure to ensue. He knew it was only a matter of time before Emma would seek to have full custody of her son and he was not about to go up against Regina, not for something so insignificant for him.

He didn't care what the others had Storybrooke had to deal with it, not unless it required them to make a deal with him. Even though, he still didn't particularly care. With his memories back and the curse still intact, Rumplestiltskin didn't feel like he had anything to do. Mr. Gold practically ran his day to day duties almost like an autopilot program, as the curse had designed. Same procedures, day in and day out.

Rumplestiltskin did not run on such a program. The very idea that he had been functioning like a program for the past twenty-eight years astounded him but he knew it would bring him a step closer to finding his son. But he still needed to appear like Mr. Gold.

So he opened his shop and proceeded with business like normal. He went about his daily business as if nothing was wrong. It was a waiting game anyway. As soon as the curse was broken, Rumplestiltskin could bring magic back. Until then, the magic was safely tucked away in a place that nobody would dare go near, unless they had to.

When the clock struck seven, Rumplestiltskin grabbed his keys and began to shut down his shop for the night. He was halfway out the door when the phone rang. For a brief moment, he considered leaving it, especially since he already closed his shop. But something in him made him go back and answer the phone.

"Gold's Pawnshop and Antiques," he answered.

"I need you to come to the police station. There's something I need to discuss with you," Emma immediately said.

"And this isn't something we can discuss over the phone?" he asked. "I'm quite busy today."

"Now, Gold."

Rumplestiltskin sighed as the phone disconnected. Clearly, this couldn't wait, or at least that was how Emma made it sound. Sighing, Rumplestiltskin grabbed his cane and locked up his shop. So much for staying out of the family drama. He had a good idea that was the real reason Emma was having him come down the station, just in case Regina decided to tap the phone. He didn't put a single thing past the Evil Queen, especially if Henry was involved.

When he arrived at the police station, he saw a young woman sitting at one of the many desks between the Sherriff's office and the jail cells. She was reading a book and drinking what looked to be a cup of tea. He ignored her, even though she immediately reminded him of Belle. Sherriff Swan was sitting in her office, looking over some paperwork. While Mr. Gold was quite adept in legal papers, Rumplestiltskin was not in the mood to deal with such things. His leg was throbbing and he wanted nothing more than to go home and get off it. Whatever business Emma had with him, he wanted to get it done and over with.

"Who's she?" he asked. Visitors to Storybrooke were few and far between. Two in the past month…it was suspicious. No one was supposed to know about Storybrooke.

"Her name is Belle and we need to talk."

"This better be worth my time," he began, stepping foot into the sheriff's office.

"Take a look at these," she ordered.

She handed a packet of papers to Mr. Gold, unable to make sense of them. The papers were written out and quite explicit in their details, but the fact that Mr. Gold had signed them was…peculiar to say the least. As Rumplestiltskin looked them over, he too was puzzled. When did he signed these? When did he agree to this?

"Did you sign up to be a host for a student exchange program?" Emma finally asked.

"I never signed these papers."

Emma looked at him strangely. "This is your signature though. Did you know what you were getting into when you signed these papers?"

Rumplestiltskin grabbed his cane and stood up. How dare Emma say he did something when he clearly knew he hadn't.

"Gold!"

"I'm telling you that I did not sign those papers!" he shouted. He slammed his cane on the sheriff's desk.

The sudden outburst startled the daylights out of Belle, causing her to drop the mug containing the tea she was drinking. She quickly knelt down to pick it up, only to discover the cup had been damaged. She turned to gauge Emma's reaction, but Emma was more concerned in making sure Belle was okay. She forced her way past Mr. Gold and surveyed the damage, which wasn't much at all.

"I'm done," Rumplestiltskin sneered. He was livid. He had been dragged from his shop to be blamed for paperwork he clearly didn't do. What a waste.

"I'm so sorry. It's chipped," Belle said softly. "You can barely see it."

Those words made Rumplestiltskin stop in his tracks. He gripped his cane tightly. Those words…he had heard them before. Those exact words.

"It's fine, don't worry about."

He turned to look at the young woman, Belle, just one more time. It couldn't have been her. It couldn't.

The brown hair…coincidence.

The fact that she was reading a book based on who he used to be…an ironic coincidence.

The way she held the chipped mug…it had to be a coincidence.

The fact she held the same name as the woman he loved before…now that was just fate torturing him. Reminding him of something he would never be able to escape, no matter how much he spun at his wheel.

The inflection in her voice though…how could it not be her?

But she had died…hadn't she?

Then again, he never did see a body. Maybe this was her, a reincarnation of her former life. Stranger things could have happened. But there was something even odder: he felt different around her. It was a feeling that he had only felt once before. Whether it was her or not, he had apparently made a deal…and he always followed through on his deals.

"You're right. I honor my agreements. This is no exception."

Emma was caught off guard by Mr. Gold's sudden change of heart. For a man who went from slamming a cane on the desk to suddenly agreeing to take in this woman, something didn't sit right with her.

"But you just said you didn't sign those papers. You said you'd never seen them before," Emma began slowly.

"I must have signed those papers and merely forgotten but I am a man of my word."

Emma was about to make her argument when her cell phone rang. She signaled to both Mr. Gold and Belle that this would only take a moment.

"Sheriff," she answered.

Belle tried to listen in without looking suspicious. After everything she had been through in the last twenty four hours, she didn't want to be blindsided by anything.

"I'll be there shortly."

She turned to Belle. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Belle nodded her head. "I can take care of myself if I need to but I'm sure I'll be fine. Thank you."

Still, Emma knew what kind of man Mr. Gold was. She grabbed a post it note and jotted down her phone number. She was not going to send Belle with Mr. Gold without some sort of backup plan. "Call me anytime if you need something."

Belle smiled as she took the small note and slipped it in her jacket pocket. While she didn't know Mr. Gold, Belle had been assured that she would be in good hands and since the person who brought her to Storybrooke had already helped in more ways than one, she trusted him. It wasn't like Mr. Gold to do worse than she hadn't already experienced.

"Well then dearie, let's go get you acquainted, shall we?"


	2. A Flicker Of Light

Disclaimer: Nope, still not Edward Kitsis or Adam Horowitz.

A big thank you to all those who alerted and favorited this and a big thank you to Wondermorena, Stargate533, and Starcrier for reviewing. I kid you not, I sort actually giggled like The Dark One when I got a review. It was funny.

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**Chapter 2**

**A Flicker of Light**

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Rumplestiltskin was not accustomed to have visitors in his home. In fact, nobody in Storybrooke had ever seen the inside of his Victorian-esque pink and green house. But he knew that there was more than enough room in it to accommodate this new acquaintance. He had guest rooms but had never used them. He had never had a reason to…until now.

When he pulled up to his house, Belle was speechless as she saw the house for the first time. She had never seen a house of such magnitude.

"It's like a fairy tale," she whispered.

"I beg your pardon dearie?"

"Nothing," she quickly corrected. It was an odd habit she'd had her entire life: comparing the real world to books. If Belle had her way, she would live inside books. Books were an escape, however temporary it might have been. Just from being in Storybrooke for a few short hours, she already felt like she was inside one. Everywhere she looked, from seeing the buildings to the citizens of this small town, it felt like a storybook. The name of this town was just a coincidence. It had to be.

"The basement and my quarters are strictly off limits. Other than that, you may make yourself at home. After all, it is for the next year," he said once they were inside. Belle wanted to look around but didn't have the energy. All she wanted to sleep. Besides, there would be plenty of time to look around. It didn't have to be today.

"Nine and a half months," Belle corrected. "I don't go back 'til next summer. Do you mind if I ask which room is mine? I'm quite tired."

Rumplestiltskin had to think for a moment. He hadn't had a visitor before, let alone someone who was going to be staying in house. While he had tons of rooms to choose from, he wanted to place in the room he had redesigned to be reminiscent of Belle's when she wasn't in the dungeon of his castle. If this was Belle, maybe she would remember.

"Second door on your right when you go up the stairs. Let me show you."

"You don't have to do that," she quickly said but Rumplestiltskin dismissed her remarks. He was rude to her before, almost cruel when she had come to his castle in exchange for her family's safety. Here, he could start over.

"I'd like to."

Belle was still thrown off by his personality. One minute angry, the next, calm and almost accommodating. But she already knew this man wouldn't hurt her. How, well she wasn't sure. But she had always been a good judge of people before. Why would Mr. Gold be any different?

The room, although Belle was still stuck on the second room to the right, which reminded her of Peter Pan, was almost the perfect definition of her. There was a large queen sized bed with a light sky blue blankets and pale yellow pillows to compliment it. Across the way was a large window that overlooked Storybrooke. But what made Belle the happiest was the vast amount of bookshelves, each filled to the top with books.

"Are you sure you weren't expecting me?" she teased.

"Must've slipped the mind dearie. It happens. And Belle, I'd like to see those papers once you've settled in."

Belle's heart started racing. The papers she had…she didn't know how legitimate they looked. It was one thing to pass them off on the sheriff who just wanted to solve the problem and move onto the next. But Mr. Gold was bound to look them over with a fine toothed comb. If there was a discrepancy, he would find it, and Belle wasn't ready to go back. After the elaborate scheme he had help put together, it couldn't go down due to fake paperwork. She wasn't ready to go back.

As Belle softly shut her door after Mr. Gold left, she retrieved her cell phone from her pocket. She had three missed calls, all for the same person. After making sure that Mr. Gold had in fact gone downstairs and she could hear his cane hitting the hardwoods of the first floor, Belle returned the calls she had missed.

"Did it work?" the man immediately asked upon answering.

Belle nodded her head before finally answering. "Yes. He thinks he signed the papers. How…how did you know he would do that?"

The man on the other end didn't say anything at first. "Some people are predictable. Are you settling in alright?"

"I'm fine. I'll call if I need anything. Thank you though…for doing this."

"Yeah. Stay safe."

"I will."

Belle hid the phone under her pillow and crashed down onto her bed, wanting nothing more than to curl up with a good book and fall asleep. She truly doubted she would even get past the page she was on but she didn't feel right unless a book slept on the bed with her. The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind, and even that felt like an understatement to her.

_Belle was exhausted after a nearly twenty-hour flight so climbing several flights of stairs was no easy feat, even if the man who helped to bring her here was carrying her two bags for her._

_"You're not staying with me," he said after they got into the apartment. "Not for long anyway."_

_"I'm not?"_

_"I need to send you somewhere else. If your father comes looking for you, you can't stay here. This is the first place he'll look."_

_"Then where am I to go? I don't want to go back. I finally have some freedom. I'm not ready to let it go."_

_The man sat down on the arm of his couch and crossed her arms over his chest._

_"There's a small town in Maine I'd think you'd fit well into."_

_Belle prompted him to go on._

_"It's called Storybrooke. You can't even find it on a map. It's the perfect place to hide."_

_"Storybrooke?"_

_"Sounds like the perfect town for you. Look, I can't get you out of your current situation but I can send you somewhere where they can't find you. That should give you some time to figure things out. There's a man there named Mr. Gold. He's known for making deals."_

_"Does he know?" Belle asked._

_The man shook his head. "No, but that is why you're going to give him this. Any agreement that he makes or believes he has made, he will honor. He always has."_

_"And you're sure of this? Maybe I should just stay with you."_

_He shook his head again. Belle sighed as she played with the dreamcatcher in front of the fire escape. "Why are you helping me? You don't even know me."_

_"I know what it's like to have a parent who…" he began. Belle waited for him to continue but he never did. He fell backward onto the couch and didn't speak for the longest time. "I know what's like to not have a choice."_

_Belle knew what that felt like. Back home, she didn't have a choice. She wanted to go on adventures, be brave. Now, she had that opportunity. She could make her own choices about her life and that's what she really wanted._

She pulled herself off the bed and retrieved all the paperwork she had been sent with. The sooner Mr. Gold bought into the lie, the easier this would all be for her. It would be one less thing for her to worry about it.

Mr. Gold was downstairs, looking at the same chipped teacup he had drunk from that very morning. Belle thought nothing of it.

"You wanted to see these," she said, handing the folder to Mr. Gold. The few hours of sleep she had gotten on the way to Storybrooke felt so far away now.

"Are you alright, dearie?" he asked. He could tell that Belle was about to fall over had she not been holding onto the back of the chair he was currently presiding in.

"Tired is all. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Mr. Gold," she said softly.

"Goodnight…Belle."

Rumplestiltskin never thought he'd say those words again. He had still had doubts that this was his Belle but for the moment, he let himself indulge, for it was nice to be reminded of the brief flicker of light amidst an ocean of darkness.


End file.
